OK, so I downloaded and burned puppy 1.0.1, because the disappearing ndiswrapper seemed like a 1.0.2 bug to me...so, I booted 1.0.1 on a clean pup001 file, and did the file extracting, etc...now, when puppy boots, just before X starts, ndiswrapper loads correctly, then I get this:

Error for wireless request 'Set ESSID' (8B1A): SET failed on device eth1; No such device.

So, is this an indication that the pcmcia subsystem isn't seeing the card? or something else?

If you just type
# insmod ndiswrapper
it won't work, can't find the module, you would have to specify the entire path and filename. But there's more to it -- insmod in the 2.6 kernel seems to be partly crippled. It's a different modprobe package that I had to compile for k2.6.

When I was running 1.0.2RC, I first booted up with a clean pup001 file, and after I'd extracted the necessary files and such, I typed

modprobe ndiswrapper

and received no error messages...in fact, I received no message at all. It just gave me a new prompt line, so I took this as a good sign. It was only when I rebooted that I got the error message, which was apparently produced by one of the config files I installed, because it occurred as part of the boot process, rather than by any input I did. So it seems like some bug is causing ndiswrapper to disappear? I'll try all of this again at home, as I'll soon be separated from this computer, and report my findings...

Any ideas on the error message I'm getting with 1.0.1? At least ndiswrapper is loading OK there...

Barry, you're right. "Insmod" gives and error in 1.0.2RC where "modprobe" does not. I'm currently in XP and don't have a utility to handle the .tar files, but I'm nearly positive that one of the configs calls ndiswrapper with insmod. I can change this line to modprobe easily enough. However, I'm suspecting that the pcmcia system isn't seeing (or identifying or something) the card, because after I manually modprobe ndiswrapper, if I then do "iwconfig", I get an output which shows me two devices (one is eth0, but sorry i can't remember the other) and says "no wireless extensions" or something like that for both of them. Sorry I'm not being more precise with the messages. is there any way i can get a list of pcmcia hardware that the system has detected?

ND

PS. i downloaded and burned Feather yesterday (good thing I brought a CDRW!) and all I had to do was run through the network setup wizard and it worked like a charm. Might they have some moves we can steal?
PPS That success makes me all the more determined to get this to work!

Ndiswrapper does not interface with the pcmcia subsystem, basically it just needs the pcmcia drivers loaded so it can talk to what's on the otherside of the bridge. Most 32bit 'pcmcia' cards are what is know as PC Cards.

I think the command to list the attached pcmcia devices is
#cardctl ident

acutally try
#cardctl --help and it should give you a list of options.

After you load ndiswrapper have a look at the /var/log/syslog or /var/log/messages

eg
# cat /var/log/messages | grep ndis

or

# cat /var/log/syslog | grep ndis

and post that info

If you do a simple modporbe ndiswrapper your wireless interface will be
wlan0.

If you run rc.wirless the wireless interface will be whatever
DEVICE=" "
is ie eth1 wlan0 eth0 and so forth

One thing DO NOT LOAD NDISWRAPPER AND THEN RUN rc.wirless do one or the other

Thanks for the help and info, Bladehunter. I won't be able to get my hands on that 'puter until Saturday night or Sunday morning, though, so I'll post the info found in the log files then.

Thanks agian,

ND

PS. My order of operation had been to:

1. unarchive the files I'd been given to thier proper locations
2. edit the ESSID in wireless.conf (leaving everything else blank means "auto", right?)
3. add the given lines to rc.local
4. (and this is where I might have been going wrong, according to what you've just told me) modprobe ndiswrapper
4.a. receive no interesting output, actually, no output at all
5. reboot. still no internet connection.
6. reboot into XP, come back to forum to post my troubles.

I was thinking about trying to talk my girlfriend through booting puppy, running the command, finding the output file, mounting a USB key, copying the file, unmounting the key, and rebooting (all over the phone), but then decided I'd just do it myself Saturday. So, I'll post it Sat night or early Sunday.

Ok, here is the pci.txt file. The wifi adapter is the last item listed. It's definately there, and seems to be detected with no problems (at least here)...so, any idea where I'm going wrong?

ND

EDIT: The forum won't allow me to upload a file with a txt extension, apparently ("The Extension txt is not allowed"), so here's the important part cut and pasted. If you need any more info from the file, let me know.

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